Coleria. Care, Cultivation, Reproduction. Gesnerievye. Flower. A Photo

Coleria is a perennial herb. It is quite simple to grow it, but for some reason it is not among the common among flower lovers. Despite the fact that it blooms beautifully and the flowering period of Coleria is long.

© codiferous

Coleria (Latin Kohléria) is a genus of herbaceous plants of the Gesneriaceae family with soft opposite pubescent leaves; decorative indoor plants. Their homeland is the tropical regions of America.

The genus Koleria (Kohleria Regel) includes about 65 plant species of the Gesneriev family. Distributed from Mexico to Central America, in Colombia, on the island of Trinidad.

The name of the genus comes from the name of the teacher of natural sciences from Zurich, Michael Kohler, who lived in the 19th century.

Representatives of the genus are perennial herbaceous plants or shrubs with scaly tuberous rhizomes.

Leaves are opposite, ovate-oblong, crenate along the edge, 12-15 cm long, up to 8 cm wide, with a densely fleecy surface. In different species, they can be either dark green with reddish veins, or olive green with a light central vein, shiny or ribbed, with a thick white or reddish pile. The color of the leaves in hybrids can be both silver and bronze.

Coleria bloom very profusely. Flowers are single or 2-3 on the axillary peduncle. Bell-shaped corollas with a tube up to 5 cm, slightly swollen from below, tapering towards the pharynx. Some flowers resemble thimbles. The wide-open pharynx has five obtuse lobes, covered with numerous strokes, specks, and dots. The color of flowers in natural species is varied: pink with a white pharynx in a thick dark pink speck, orange-red with a yellow pharynx with dark red spots; chestnut brown with white dots and a white throat with a pink pattern, etc.

Colerias are suitable for warm rooms, just like the Achimenes. In culture, many hybrids have been obtained as a result of interspecific crosses, mainly K. bogotensis, K. digitaliflora, K. amabilis and some other species; these hybrids are known by their respective names. Hybrids add cherry, fuchsia, golden, amethyst, green shades and even "tiger" coloring to the color of flowers. In culture, standard, compact and miniature forms are known.

It is somewhat easier to keep koleria than many other gesneria, they are less demanding on humidity and air temperature. The usual conditions in a residential apartment are suitable for them.

© toryporter (away …)

Growing features

Temperature

Coleria prefers moderate temperatures. In summer 20-25 degrees C. If the plant stops flowering, i.e. enters a dormant period, it is better to lower the temperature to 15 - 17 degrees C. When choosing a place for koleria, it must be borne in mind that she does not like drafts.

Lighting

Coleria is a light-loving plant. She needs a well-lit place, but in summer it should not be hot there and should not be exposed to direct sunlight. During the dormant period, if the coleria has not dropped the leaves, it also needs to be provided with good lighting.

Watering

During the period of growth and flowering, i.e. from spring to autumn, you need to water the color in moderation. Waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed, but drying out is also undesirable. In winter, watering should be reduced even more. If for the winter the aboveground part of the plant has died out, the soil with the rhizome must also be slightly moistened periodically so that the rhizome does not dry out.

Air humidity

Coleria can grow in dry air, but loves a humid microclimate more. However, its velvety leaves do not tolerate water droplets. Therefore, to create high humidity, it is necessary to spray not the plant itself, but the air around it, and also put the container with the color in a pallet with wet moss or expanded clay. It is better to use soft warm water for watering and spraying.

© Michael Beat

Reproduction

You can propagate koleriya in different ways, by dividing the rhizome, apical cuttings, seeds. The simplest ones are the division of the rhizome and the rooting of cuttings. Reproduction takes place without problems at any time of the year, but faster and more actively - in the spring. Cut cuttings are placed in water and planted in shallow pots after rooting. The cut parts of the rhizome are carefully placed in the ground to a depth of about 2 cm and watered, preventing the soil from drying out.

Transfer

Wide and shallow containers are used for transplantation. It is imperative to provide drainage. It is recommended to transplant every day, the color scheme grows strongly over the year.

Fertilizer

Fertilize koleria during the period of active flowering, from April to August, with special fertilizers for flowering plants. Top dressing is done once a week. During the dormant period, fertilizing the plant is not required.

Diseases and pests

Coleria is an unpretentious plant, it is rarely affected by pests. However, aphids and spider mites can appear on the leaves and shoots, and the leaves and shoots begin to dry out and deform. With excessive soil moisture, rot may appear.

It should also be remembered that coleria is a delicate plant, when the leaves are mechanically grazed and when water gets on them, spots appear on them, the leaves begin to dry and fall off, and the appearance of the plant deteriorates.

© scott.zona

Care

Plants with a pronounced dormant period. It blooms in summer and autumn. In summer, they are kept in a warm, bright room with high air humidity, regularly fed with full mineral or organic fertilizers, watered evenly, the temperature is 18-22 degrees. Adequate light is required, but light shading from direct sunlight. Spraying is not recommended as water droplets leave unsightly spots on pubescent leaves. In autumn, after flowering, watering is reduced. In winter, with the onset of a dormant period, the aboveground part of the plant dies off. The rhizomes left in the ground are stored in a cool dry place at a temperature of about 12-14 ° C. In the spring, they are transplanted into a mixture of leaf and sod land, peat and sand (2: 1: 0.5: 0.5) in bowls or small pots with good drainage.

Propagated in spring by seeds obtained with artificial pollination, rhizomes and cuttings. Small seeds are sown without falling asleep in a mixture of peat and sand (1: 1). Seedlings dive twice - they are planted more freely, then the grown seedlings are planted one by one in small pots. The cuttings are rooted in sand or a mixture of peat and sand (1: 1).

© Michael Beat

Kinds

Foxglove coleria - Kohleria digitaliflora

A large herbaceous plant with straight, lodging shoots up to 80 cm in length and with underground scaly rhizomes. Leaves are opposite, ovate-oblong, 12-15 cm long, 7-8 cm wide, light green. Flowers are single or 2-3 on the axillary peduncle. Corolla bell-shaped with a tube 3-5 cm long, swollen below, narrower to the pharynx, and a wide-open limb with 5 obtuse lobes, yellowish-green above, two upper ones dark crimson. The whole plant is densely pubescent with spaced white hairs.

Coleria is pleasant - Kohleria amabilis

It differs from the previous species in lower growth, wide, ovoid leaves, silvery-green, brownish-purple along the veins, and smaller (tube length 2 cm) bright pink flowers with crimson specks on the limb.

Coleria fluffy - Kohleria eriantha

A species similar in size to foxglove Coleria. It is characterized by dark green velvety leaves with reddish pubescence along the edge and below along the veins and orange-red flowers up to 5 cm long, with yellow dots on the lower lobes of the limb.

© scott.zona